Islamabad: A suicide bomber killed at least 12 people and wounded 27 others in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday. Officials described the blast as a ‘message from Kabul’ and vowed a forceful response.
The explosion tore through the entrance of a district court around lunchtime, setting vehicles ablaze and sending panic through the city. Witnesses said the attacker tried to enter the court complex but detonated his explosives when stopped near a police van. Several of the injured remain in critical condition.
Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said Pakistan was now in a state of war, accusing Afghan-based militants of orchestrating the assault. “Bringing this war to Islamabad is a message from Kabul, and Pakistan has the full power to respond,” he said.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, speaking at the blast site, alleged that the bomber was in contact with handlers in Afghanistan. “We are clear that Afghanistan must stop them. If it fails, we will deal with these terrorists ourselves,” Naqvi said.
The Taliban administration in Kabul condemned the bombing and expressed sorrow but rejected Islamabad’s accusations that Afghan soil was being used to launch cross-border attacks. India, which Pakistan also accused of backing militants, dismissed the claims as baseless.
The blast followed an assault on a military-run school in Wana the previous day, where militants rammed a vehicle into the main gate and opened fire, killing at least three people. Observers said the attack appeared to mirror the 2014 Peshawar school massacre that claimed more than 130 lives.
The latest escalation comes as Pakistan continues to clash with both Afghanistan and India, having carried out airstrikes last month against alleged militant bases in Kabul. Officials fear the new wave of attacks could deepen instability just as the country faces mounting political and economic crises.
Retired Lieutenant General Muhammad Saeed said the attacks were designed to spread fear. “The terrorists have one country funding them and another giving them space,” he said. “This is psychological warfare aimed at Pakistan’s heart.”
Hospitals in Islamabad remain on emergency footing, and the capital has been placed under high alert as investigators comb through the blast site.
